The Informer

We speak to Guardian Australia journalist Paul Karp about some current topics, including:

* the split over the Religious Discrimination legislation

* drug testing Newstart recipients

* embattled MP Gladys Liu

In an extended interview, Matthew Mitcham speaks with Nick Hynes about the ANZ Mardi Gras Grants program. The grants are for up to $10,000 and are open now. Find out more in this episode.

Civil rights activist, writer and podcast host DeRay McKesson talks to The Informer. He spoke to Arion Potts and Nicholas Kameniar Sandery about police violence, how to have hope in hard times, white privilege and his new book On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope. DeRay was in Melbourne for the Melbourne Writer’s Festival.

Maeve Marsden’s brainchild, Queerstories, is going from success to success. She talks to Nicholas Hynes about how Queerstories developed and the surprising reaction it’s getting in regional areas.

Matthew Mitcham is ANZ’s Mardi Gras grants ambassador. He speaks to Nicholas Hynes about his new role and why it’s important to him.

Earlier this week, Melbourne was host to a seminar about Hong Kong protests. We talk to some of the activists from the Be Water: Hong Kong vs China (何韻詩墨爾本研討會) event.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics is exploring some new questions for the 2021 Census. One of the areas they’re looking at is gender and sexuality. We talk to Suicide Prevention Australia, who support the move.

Animal Justice Party MP and committed Vegan Andy Meddick spoke to the Informer about a recent move he made to get State Parliament to go meat free on Mondays. He spoke about where the idea was coming from and how to combat extinction.

In one of the most impassioned speeches we’ve heard this decade, Andy Meddick MP talks about the birth certificate bill. He talks about why it’s important, why opponents are wrong and about his love for his trans child. Here is the speech in full.

Friday is the ninth annual Wear It Purple Day, a day where people, well, wear purple. It’s to raise awareness of issues facing young LGBTIQ+ people. We spoke to Gemma Saunders, Director of Wear It Purple ahead of the event.